Sterilizer



NiTnn STATES i i ATTENT QFFICE.'

WILLIAM M. DECKER,OF KINGSTON, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,625, dated October18, 1898. Application filed February 18, 1896. Serial No. 579,688. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ wle/0m t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. DECKER, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Kingston, in the county of Ulster and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sterilizers, and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements insterilizers.

It has for its object to so construct the partsV that the vesselscontaining the food to be sterilized shall at all times be out ofcontact with the water or steam reservoir and be subject to the free andunobstructed action of the steam or water and to at the same time secure economy and lightness in construction as well as durability ot thesupporting-rack,` all as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention pertainsmay know how to make and use my improved sterilizer, I will proceed todescribe its construction and the method of using the same, referring byletters to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is aperspective view of the reservoir with the top removed and the side wallpartially broken away to expose the watergage and rack-supports andwater overiiow. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the receptacles andframe removed from reservoir; and Fig. '3 is a perspective view, on anenlarged scale, of a portion of the side wall of the reservoir with theoverflow-water cup removed to show more clearly the means for securingthe thermometer in place during transportation.

Similar letters of reference denote like parts in the several figures otthe drawings;

A is a sheet-metal reservoir which may be of cylindrical form, as shown,or rectangular and with rounded corners. This receptacle should be madeof such metal or so coated or galvanized as to be free from oxidation.It is provided with a close-fitting and removable cover B and suitablebail C, for which latter, when the reservoir is made large and moreunwieldy than as shown, maybe substituted any other suitable means forlifting thesame. At one side the wall of the reservoir is provided witha scale or gage D, designed to in dicate the, quantity of waternecessary for sterilization, (when hot water is. used.) At another pointand on the outside of the wall of the reservoir is secured what Idenominate a watencup E, open at top and closed at its bottom and sidesand securely connected by water-tight joint to the wall, which latter isperforated, as shown at F, Fig. l, to form a channel into the watercupnear its base. The objects of the Water-cup and its connectionwith thereservoir are twofold-fusa to constitute an overfiow for the contents ofthe reservoir afterureaching a given level, and,

second, to. serve as a receptacle for a thermometer G, Fig. 3, whichduring the usel of the sterilizerfor sterilizin g purposes is placed inthe water-cup, with face outward, as shown, and which may be readilyremoved for inspection and when the sterilizer is being transported maybe placed in the water-cup, with its face inward and secured againstaccidental displacement by the swinging locking-bail I, secured to thewall of the reservoir by the sheetnnetal plate K, as clearly illustratedat Fig 3.

On the inside of the reservoir at suitable distances apart are securedinwardly-projecting lugs or supports L to sustain the rack M, whichlatter (see Fig. 2) is composed of a plate et sheet metal, to which isremovably attached a handle or bail N and three or morevertically-projecting and removable legs or supports O. The rack-plateis perforated or ,formed With suitable openings for the passage of anydesired number of milk-cells P,

,which are formed with straight side walls open at the top and with asurrounding iiange adapted to extend beyond the openingsin the plate andto rest thereon, and thus hold the cells in a suspended position, asclearly shown, the bottoms of the cells lying in a plane above theextremities of the legs or supports O, so that a suitable space willexist between the bottoms of the cells and the bottom of the reservoirA.

The milk-cells P are provided with flexible waterproof dome-shaped capsQ, terminating at the apex or top in short reinforced opennecks adaptedto receive cotton Stoppers R or other suitable corks.

Having described the construction of my ICO improved sterilizingapparatus, I will now eX- plain how the same is used, and in doing sothe advantages of the details of construction will be made apparent.

The milk to be sterilized is first placed in the open-topped cells P,over which are placed the fiexible dome-shaped caps Q, the necks ofwhich are closed with a suitable packing of cotton R. The cells are thenplaced in the rack M, as shown at Fig. 2, and by means of the bail orhandle N the rack is deposited within the receptacle A and upon theradial lugs L, the reservoir having been previously supplied withsufficient water, which can be determined by the gage D and according tothe number of cells P in the rack. For instance, if the rack 'containsbut one cell the reservoir should be filled to a level coincident with1, indicated on the gage. If seven cells are used, the water should onlyrise to 7 of the gage, and likewise with any intermediate number ofcells used, so that the displacement of the Water by the introduction ofthe cells will not cause it to rise above the desired or proper level.The reservoir is then covered with the cover B and placed upon the stoveor other heater and the water heated to 1GOo or 165O Fahrenheit and keptat that temperature for a period of ten minutes, and as the Water in thereservoir communicates with the water-cup E, in which is located thethermometer G, the temperature is readily determined. To expedite theprocess, the water employed may be heated to a degree somewhat less thanthat required for sterilization before it is placed in the reservoir.After the milk has been properly heated and sterilized the rack, withits cells, is removed and the hot water poured out of the reservoir,land an equal quantity of cold watereis placed in the reservoir and therack and cells replaced, 'and to maintain the water at itscoolingtemperature a continuous flow of water may enter the reservoir, andthrough the medium of the water-cup E and its connection with thereservoir the proper level will be maintained by overflowin an obviousmanner.

"While my improved apparatus may be used, as just described, at a lowtemperature, (pasteurization,) it may also be used for a hightemperature by means of steam.

After the food has been properly sterilized the rack constitutes aconvenient device for transporting it about the apartments and the legsor supports O enable the rack and contents to rest securely upon a tableor other support. The reservoir A, by reason of its construction, may beused as an ordinary bucket or water vessel by simply closing the openingF with an ordinary stopper. It will also be observed that by reason ofthe construction and relation of the parts the apparatus may be employedas a portable refrigerator, sufiicient space existing between thebottoms of the cells P and the bottom of the reservoir to contain areasonable supply of ice and the water-cup preventing undue rise ofwater resulting from melting ice. Ice may also be stored or packedaround the cells below the rack and around the dome-shaped caps Q abovethe rack.

The rack M, as will be observed and by reason of its construction andarrangement, constitutes not only a suitable device for holding thecells P in a suspended position and away from the bottom of thereservoir, but the horizontal perforated plate constitutes an effectivemeans for preventing the swashing or turbulent movement of theI watercontained in the reservoir and also confines the heat thereof.

The peculiar construction of the cells e11- ables them/to be readilycleansed, as they are devoid of the usual breast and contracted neck ofthe ordinary bottle, and they may be used as receivers, within whichsurgical instruments and other devices may be placed for sterilization.

Having described the construction and mode of using my improvedsterilizer, what I claim as new, an d desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

l. In combination with the reservoir A, having the water-cup andthermometer-receptacle E, the swinging locking-bail I arranged above thewater-cup and adapted to secure the thermometer in place,substantiallyas described.

2. The sterilizing-cells P having straight side walls open at thetop andformed with a circumferential supporting-flange, in combi nation withthe removable dome'shaped elastic and waterproof cap Q, having open neckadapted to receive cotton plugs R or other suitable corks, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

3. The dome-shaped elastic waterproof caps Q, adapted to iit over thecircumferential flanges of the cells P, and formed with the reinforcedopen necks to receive the cotton Stoppers R, or other suitable corks,substantially as hereinbefore set forth. g

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVM. M. DECKER.

lVitnesses:

CHARLns TAPPEN, SAML. G. DIMMICK.

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